You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

Chapter 108: Aizen Mephistopheles Iori

"..."

Sera stopped and looked at Iori, but Iori ignored her completely and continued walking leisurely forward, leaving the silver-haired girl with only her back view.

"I don't understand... Why are you trying to mislead me like this? Whatever I wish for with the Holy Grail is none of your business, right?"

"So you're still going to use all the power of the Greater Grail to fulfill the Einzbern's wishes, instead of your personal needs?"

Iori pouted: "Stubborn guy, haven't you ever thought that you can have both?"

"The power of the Greater Grail must be used entirely to open the 'hole'. If the magic power is wasted, resulting in the inability to open the hole or the hole being too small... then everything will be in vain!"

Sera remained steadfast, unmoved by Iori's words: "We'll have to allocate a portion for your wish later, there won't be any extra!"

"Heh~" Iori shook his head, his expression dismissive.

Einzbern's wish was to "save all mankind," a grand proposition that required the third law to achieve.

Originally, Ai Jia's "Winter Saintess" could use the Third Law to a limited extent, but unfortunately it was incomplete, costly, inefficient, and of little practical use, and had little significance for "all mankind".

That's why they joined forces with the other two to create the Greater Grail!

Summoning Heroic Spirits and such are just means to an end; the true essence of the Greater Grail is a super magical core that can amplify the Third Magic.

However, there is a problem here:

If we simply use "vessels" to store magic, then no matter how large the vessel itself is, there will eventually be a limit, and it will not be able to meet the requirement of "saving all mankind".

Therefore, Einzbern designed a ritual called the "Holy Grail War".

Its purpose is to use the summoning system and the magic of the Greater Grail to summon the Heroic Spirits engraved on the Boundary Recording Belt to the mortal world, let them fight each other, and then use the Lesser Grail (key) to store the souls of the defeated.

The Servants' souls are extremely pure magical energy, which intercepts those who should have returned to the Throne of Heroes outside the world, and releases them all at once when a certain number have been accumulated!

At this moment, the souls of multiple Servants return, and with the blessing of immense magical power, they will carve out a "hole" leading to the outside of the world!

The "hole" allows one to reach the root of the world, which is the wish of all magicians, including the Tohsaka family.

Einzbern, on the other hand, wanted to use the "hole" to draw on the infinite magic power outside the world to support the perpetual motion of the Greater Grail, expand the Third Law infinitely until it covered all mankind and achieved ultimate salvation!

Therefore, for the Masters of Einzbern, their mission is singular: to use the small Holy Grail in their hands to open the "hole" of the world after winning the Holy Grail War.

Before that, one cannot make a wish at will, otherwise the magic power stored in the Greater Grail will be consumed, which may affect the size and stability of the "hole".

Before the Third Holy Grail War, the artificial Master Nie Ren had another option: to wait until the "hole" was opened and then use that infinite magical power to reshape his body or materialize his soul. In that case, he could save himself while fulfilling his mission.

But Sera couldn't do it at that moment...

There was a secret she had never told Iori, but Iori, who possessed "clear mirror still water," could even see the pulse of magic circuits when she was serious, so she knew very well what was hidden inside the silver-haired girl.

—The Lesser Grail!

Originally, the Einzbern family crafted the Lesser Grail into a real vessel, but during these sixty years of wandering, in order to ensure that the Lesser Grail would not be taken away, they simply gave it consciousness—hiding it within an artificial human.

When the Holy Grail War ends, Sera will self-destruct, causing the Lesser Grail to appear, opening the World Hole, and activating the Infinite Third Law!

For Sera, repairing her physical body was meaningless, because she was destined not to survive the Holy Grail War.

...Iori's seduction sounded quite ridiculous to her.

"Berserker...Iori, are you deliberately trying to provoke me?"

"Then you'll be disappointed. I am the successor of the Einzbern family. The meaning of my life is to participate in this Holy Grail War and fulfill the centuries-old wish of my clan. I will never be influenced by personal emotions."

"Think whatever you want, but I'm not that kind of boring person. I just say whatever comes to mind."

Whether it's Einzbern's long-cherished wish or Amakusa Shiro's ideal, I have absolutely no interest in them. Because at my core, I'm a very mundane person, only concerned with my own future, and at most, I broaden my horizons to include the people I know. Beyond that… um…

Unlike you, I have a very long lifespan, and I intend to spend all of that time satisfying my desires.

The Holy Grail War is a very serious matter in your eyes, but satisfying my appetite is just as important to me…”

Sera caught up and continued to walk alongside Iori.

“But your words are full of implications, like Mephistopheles tempting people to depravity.”

"What corrupts people is the desires they generate themselves; the devil merely provides them with an excuse."

Iori said nonchalantly, "If you don't want to, that's fine too. It was your own choice anyway."

"……Why?"

Sera felt agitated and placed her hand on her chest, trying to calm herself down.

"Phew... Why do I have to make a wish?"

"Nothing more, it's just a pity."

Iori smiled gently: "I really like beautiful girls who are taciturn or aloof. The combination of a sickly temperament with bandages and eye patches is also very nice. That kind of transparent and fragile broken feeling, like ice flowers... is really fascinating."

For example, yes, you are now a frail character, a beautiful and delicate work of art that would crumble at the slightest touch.

"Hmm... what are you saying all of a sudden?" Sera pressed her hand to her chest, feeling that her heartbeat had not only not decreased, but had actually increased.

But the boy quickly added, "In the end, such beautiful things can only be admired from afar. People are attracted by their fragility... and precisely because of this, they cannot reach out and touch them."

The ultimate beauty of a woman lies in having a strong heart beneath a fragile body, maintaining her integrity and moving forward even when broken.

...So I think it's a pity. Right now, you're just a doll without independent consciousness, possessing only a beautiful appearance.

Sera remained silent for a long time, her brows furrowed, seemingly very unconvinced, but in the end she accepted it with a sense of dejection.

"I have no obligation to please you."

“That’s true.” Iori smiled and shook her head.

Logically speaking, what Sera wished for was none of his business, but how should I put it... the more he interacted with this silver-haired girl, the stronger a certain thought became in his mind.

He really wanted to see if this android girl, who only obeyed orders, could break free of her programmed personality and generate something called "selfish desires."

Sera is incredibly "pure" in a certain sense right now, but it would be amazing to taint her with the color of depravity!

As expected... compared to a pretty but lifeless vase, Iori still prefers a living "human"!

Chapter 109: Berserker is the strongest!

I prefer more obedient Servants!

Sera silently followed Iori. The words she had just heard had not swayed her, but they had stirred up a strange emotion in her that was mixed with dissatisfaction and anger.

This is a rather novel experience for an android. If it were the normal Sera, she would definitely suspect that her physical performance has declined, causing problems with her emotional circuits and resulting in the loss of absolute rationality.

But at this moment, Sera was completely unaware of her own abnormality, experiencing for the first time in her life such a strong sense of resistance towards someone.

She didn't want to judge whether Iori was right or wrong; she simply refused to try to understand.

This Berserker is too abnormal!

As a Servant, Aizen Iori, whose origins are unknown, is undoubtedly extremely perfect, possessing both excellent combat ability and rich intellect. She consumes very little magic power and also has the ability to fight against the Three Knights.

Although his words are frivolous, one can sense his reliable nature, so there is no need to worry about his loyalty.

But his independence is too strong. Not only does he want to take the lead in the contractual relationship, but he also takes the initiative to explore the Master's inner world... This makes Sera very unhappy!

"He's clearly a Berserker, yet he can talk so much..."

After a long silence, Sera finally spoke with a sharp retort: ​​"What kind of hero are you anyway?"

“I have quite a few ‘hometowns,’ depending on whether you’re asking about my life before death, after death, or legends.” Iori still didn’t intend to reveal her “real name.”

“Troublesome fellow,” Sera said with a mocking laugh in response to Iori’s teasing. “The Three Knights are definitely more useful, like [Saber] or something.”

"what?"

"At least, excellent and noble swordsmen wouldn't be as malicious as you, nor would they indulge in pleasure, unable to give up their appetites even though they are Servants—"

"Give it back to me! You bastard, stop right there!"

An exasperated voice came from ahead, and a small, agile figure darted across the street, followed by a large, red cat pouncing on its prey like a tiger.

"—!"

Before Sera could react, Iori had already stopped and reached out to block Sera, separating the silver-haired girl from the big cat.

"Hmm!" Sera paused slightly, her impression of Iori warming up a little.

Although he has a terrible personality, he's actually quite gentle in his actions.

"Meow!!!"

"Haha! I caught you!"

The red "big cat" has simply tied-up blonde hair and captivating emerald eyes, but its rude behavior is incongruous with its beautiful face.

Her struggle with the cat, attempting to snatch the fried fish back from its mouth, completely shattered her perfect, innocent appearance.

This blonde girl, who seems to embody the word "energetic," is wearing a sexy tube top and hot pants, with a red jacket over her upper body. No matter how you look at it, she is a fashionable girl who follows the trend, and maybe she is also a rock music enthusiast.

Although the level of nudity is not low, surprisingly there is not much of a risqué feeling. Instead, it is full of vitality and energy, making people feel warm and friendly.

"Give it back! This is mine, you rebellious wretch! I am a knight destined to inherit the throne! How dare you offend me... Ouch, that hurts!"

The wildcat fearlessly confronted the red tyrant, and even after being captured, it did not yield. Its sharp little claws swung back and forth, making it difficult for the blonde girl to catch it.

What a farce this is! Sera watched the scene speechlessly. Just as she frowned and was about to take a detour, she suddenly sensed something, and her scarlet pupils instantly contracted.

"This magic... could she be...?"

Damn!

Has the decline in physical function really dulled his senses to this extent? He couldn't even recognize the Servant right in front of him!

Sera felt her heart clench, and she immediately became extremely alert. Now she finally understood why Iori had acted as if facing a formidable enemy and had always protected her behind him in the face of such a farce.

This blonde, blue-eyed girl is undoubtedly a Servant!

Why would they be here...? It can't be a coincidence, could it be an attack...?

"Hey, I told you not to run around like that!"

As the girl in red confronted the stray cat, a rather bulky figure hurried after her. (Three)

Thick black jacket, a ferocious face covered in scars, a burly physique like a professional wrestler... The reason this guy can walk the streets without being arrested by the police is all thanks to breath-concealing magic and psychological suggestion.

However, despite being a dangerous individual who would make anyone keep their distance, Sera suddenly breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing him.

She recognized that distinctive face!

Lion Catch Jie Li is a magician from the Far East and a veteran mercenary. Unlike his wild dog-like colleagues, his reputation is guaranteed, and he has participated in the subspecies Holy Grail War, so he can be said to be very experienced.

The Clock Tower recognized this and recruited him, entrusting him with a mission to participate in battle as a Master!

The reason Sera and Iori went out today was because they had arranged to meet this mercenary master in private to get to know each other better as comrades in the same faction.

—This was all arranged by El-Melloi II.

It can only be said that the monarch worked hard enough to fully justify the reward he received from Sera.

"Honestly, we're waiting for someone, don't wander off."

"but!"

Upon seeing her Master arrive, the blonde girl in the red jacket immediately raised the stray cat in dissatisfaction: "This guy stole my military rations, which I was saving to slowly sharpen my teeth!"

Thieves, robbers, barbarians, cats stealing fish!!

"...That last title isn't used like that."

Shiki had already spotted Iori and the other person. Just like him, Sera's appearance was also very distinctive, and he could recognize her at a glance as the person he was waiting for, so he wasn't in such a hurry.

He coaxed the blonde girl like a helpless old father: "Alright, alright, I'll buy you another one, Saber."

"No way! This isn't about buying another one. Do you think I'm short of food? This is a matter of dignity!"

"Um, then I won't buy it."

"That won't do either!"

The blonde girl immediately retorted angrily, "How can you go back on your word! My Master must be a person of his word!"